Opera Columbus announces 2012-2013 season, new collaboration with ShadowboxLive

Opera Columbus announced today their two show season for 2012-2013. They will be doing Toronto based Opera Atelier’s revival of Mozart’s The Magic Flute and  New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players in H.M.S Pinafore. “Both productions will again employ local artists—the Opera Columbus Chorus and the Columbus Symphony—and all performances will be held in the Southern Theatre.”

Photo The Magic Flute: Opera Atelier Company of The Magic Flute (2006) Photo credit: Bruce Zinger.

A new program called Opera Cabaret, a collaboration with Shadowbox Live, will be performed in the Shadowbox Live Backstage Bistro. “The program strives to make the art form of opera accessible to new audiences with live, abridged performances of popular operas sung in English that are free of charge.”

The first Opera Cabaret presentation will be Puccini’s La bohème.

October 14-November 18, 2012, 4pm (Sundays only)

Shadowbox Live’s Backstage Bistro (503 S. Front St.)

Opera Columbus and Shadowbox Live present the Opera Cabaret performance of Puccini’s La bohème, one of the most popular operas of all time. Directed by Shadowbox’s Stev Guyer, the performances will feature young artists performing an abridged, English-language adaptation of this opera centered on a community of artists in Paris and the romantic and stormy relationship between Rodolfo and Mimi. First performed in 1896, it became the inspiration for the Broadway musical, Rent, winner of the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 1996 Tony Award for Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book. Free admission.

The 2012-13 Opera Columbus subscription includes:

Opera Atelier in Mozart’s THE MAGIC FLUTE

Saturday, April 27, 2013, 8pm

Sunday, April 28, 2013, 2pm

Southern Theatre (21 E. Main St.)

Toronto-based Opera Atelier specializes in the production of opera, ballet, and drama from the 17th and 18th centuries, drawing upon the aesthetics and ideals of the period, showcasing soloists of international acclaim, and featuring period ballet, elaborate stage decor, exquisite costumes, and an imaginative energy that sets them apart. The Magic Flute tells the story of a prince named Tamino who is sent by The Queen of the Night to rescue her daughter Pamina from her nemesis Sarastro. Accompanied by the endearingly incorrigible Papageno and the aid of a magic flute, the besotted Tamino ventures into the temple and quickly finds that all is not as it seems. An enchanting tale that delights audiences of all ages, The Magic Flute is perhaps Mozart’s greatest popular success. Sung in English with English SURTITLES™, the opera will be performed with the Opera Columbus Chorus and Columbus Symphony, and feature the Artists of Atelier Ballet. Visit www.OperaAtelier.com.

The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players in H.M.S. PINAFORE

Friday, June 7, 2013, 8pm

Saturday, June 8, 2013, 8pm

Sunday, June 9, 2013, 2pm

Southern Theatre (21 E. Main St.)

Ride a wave of music and laughter as romantic sailors, sisters, cousins, and aunts sing and dance their way across the deck of the fanciful British naval vessel with the improbable name. Set directly on the ship’s deck, this energetic production offers the rich sounds of a full orchestra, chorus, and soloists who seamlessly merge the classic elegance of the musical with a contemporary sense of humor to keep the show alive and exciting for a modern audience.

Performed with the Opera Columbus Chorus and Columbus Symphony. Visit www.nygasp.org.

Subscriptions range from $65.50-$177 per person and go on sale today. They can be purchased at the Ohio Theatre Ticket Office (39 E. State St.) or by phone at (614) 469-0939. Visit www.OperaColumbus.org.